Beer is Doggone Good!

by Renee on January 9, 2012

This morning a friend sent me the link to this story on NPR about an English pub that is offering a non-alcoholic beer for dogs to slurp while their owners enjoy a pint of the real stuff. Now here in the CLE, there are a number of bars that allow dogs on premises–including Great Lakes Brewing and Edison’s Pub–and it’s a great idea. I love dog friendly joints. But I’ve yet to see a dog enjoying a beer with its owner while dining out on the patio on a hot summer night.

As a dog owner my entire life, I can tell you that I love to pamper my pooch. Who doesn’t love a nice cold one after a particularly energetic walk through the Metroparks? And Harley Dog is very spoiled–I usually give him the last few drops of any beer I’m enjoying. (He stares at me, drooling, until I do.) If it’s not one of my favorite beers he may get a little more (cough…Corona…).

Now having a brew just for pooches–that sounds like a specialty beer with plenty of potential! Apparently there is one company that makes such a thing here in the U.S.– Bowser Beer. The beer is made with USDA beef or chicken, malt barley (full of B-vitamins) and even Glucosamine for joint health (wow, Harley takes that anyway). There is no alcohol in the Bowser Beer, or hops, which aren’t really good for dogs. You can also buy dog treats from Bowser Beer– pretzel flavored, of course. (The website says that in Northeast Ohio, it’s available at Moochie & Company in Beachwood Place.) Please don’t tell Harley that bit of news. He’ll start demanding his own bottle.

A friend of mine bought my dog Barley some Bowser Beer for her birthday. She seemed to like it enough, although she does crave the real stuff. She doesn’t seem to discriminate when it comes to style either. The first night we took her home from the APL she licked the head off my IPA when I wasn’t looking. Since then we’ve given her little drops of stouts, sours, Oktoberfests, and more. I guess we picked the right name for her.